When DAPHNE HARGROVE moves to Hawkins, Indiana from sunny California she soon hears about the curse that the Hawkins residents say lies upon the town. All while trying to navigate her new high school and her new life she meets some new people along...
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Daphne was starting to get worried about her sister, Max. She tried everything she could to pull her out of her depressive state. But nothing was seeming to work. Max would even take the bus instead of letting Daphne drive her to school. It was as if she was avoiding Daphne at all costs.
Finally, after work one Friday evening Daphne couldn't consciously let Max hole up in her room all by herself anymore. When she returned home, Susan was already home and in bed. Daphne could hear Max moving around in her room, so she knocked on the door.
There was no answer, but Daphne let herself in any way. "Woah, what the hell?" Max groaned at the light from the small hallway flooding her pitch-black bedroom. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Daphne retorted.
"Whatever. Just, get out," Max sassed from her bed.
Daphne gave her an offended glare in return. "Hey! Watch it, would you? Max, this isn't healthy. I can't even remember the last time I saw you out of this room!"
Max sat up in her bed and stared back at Daphne. "Whatever. Don't worry about it..." Daphne continued entering the dark room. The only light illuminating Max's bed. "Look... I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am that I wasn't here when you needed me most, but I'm here now. I just want to help, okay, in any way I can. I'm your sister, it's what I'm supposed to do."
Max scoffed and rolled her eyes at Daphne. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed to stand up. "Helping would be leaving me alone, Daphne."
"We both know that's not true. Just, please, Max. If you won't talk to me then talk to someone, anyone— They have a counselor at school," Daphne suggested.
Max stood up and walked toward Daphne with her arms crossed over her chest. "But I don't want to. I'm fine, okay? Just leave it alone."
She went to walk past Daphne out of her room but Daphne stopped her. "Please, Max. You're not fine." Max turned around to look at Daphne in her room. "You can't fix me, okay? So... stop trying! See look— I'm out of my room now," Max presented herself in the hall and walked away into the bathroom.
Over the course of a few weeks, Daphne expressed to Susan of her concerns and especially when she walked in on Max in the bathroom. Max's eyes grew wide as the door swung open. She had thought she locked it but was sorely mistaken.
Daphne looked between Max's arm covered in blood and her flushed face. As Max stared into Daphne's eyes she immediately felt hers fill with tears and pour over. Daphne didn't hesitate to pull Max into her embrace. "Here, come on, let's get you cleaned up, okay?" Daphne insisted and began to help Max.
"Y-You're not— mad?" Max sniffled as she watched Daphne open the medicine cabinet in front of them. "Oh, God no, Max. It's okay. Everything is going to be okay."
Daphne helped Max and encouraged her to tell Susan. Thankfully, Max listened and she and Susan set up weekly sessions with the school counselor.
The only problem was that Max couldn't express the entire truth to the counselor. Daphne continued to express to Max that she was there to confide in her whenever she wanted.
